1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to cooking implements and more particularly to a rack system for holding shish kebab skewers during cooking.
2. Antecedents of the Invention
Enhanced flavor and reduced cooking time have been attributed to food items cooked on a skewer or spit. It has been known to support several skewers carrying food pieces across a pair of parallel panels during cooking. In some instances, the panels included notches for maintaining the skewers in place, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,166 to SUMMER, U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,470 to OATLY, U.S. Pat. No. 3,393,630 to PICKENS and U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,513 to FIELDING.
It is also known to position multiple skewers carrying food pieces between a pair of parallel supports, one of which includes apertures for receiving the skewer tips and the other, notches. Such structures are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,126,814 to BROWN, U.S. Pat. No. 2,885,950 to STOLL and U.S. Pat. No. 1,377,043 to WILSON.
While the combination of parallel apertured and notched panels provided additional assurance against inadvertent dislodgement of the skewers during positioning or cooking, the inadvertent dislodgment of skewers from at least the notched panel remained a problem. Some proposed notch retention arrangements, such as that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,126,814, required manipulation of various elements, including, for example, butterfly nuts, which was difficult, especially when the apparatus was hot.
A shish kebab skewer rack system comprises a rectangular wire frame having a pair of parallel mullions, a distal end and an ansate proximal end. Affixed to each of the mullions is a generally planar side panel, with one side panel having apertures and the other, registered notches in its upper edge. The tips of skewers carrying raw shish kebab items to be cooked are extended through the apertures in the one panel and the skewers are positioned across the rack resting in the notches of the other panel and with an end portion of the skewers projecting beyond the notched panel.
A keeper rod is pivotally mounted at the rear of the notched panel and is rotated to bear against the skewer portions projecting beyond the notched panel. The keeper rod includes a depending forward leg having an interned bight which engages the underside of the notched panel in order to lock the keeper rod in place while maintaining downward pressure on the skewers.
From the foregoing compendium, it will be appreciated that it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a shish kebab skewer rack system of the general character described which is not subject to the disadvantages of the antecedents of the invention.
A feature of the present invention is to provide a shish kebab skewer rack system of the general character described which is low in cost.
A consideration of the present invention is to provide a shish kebab skewer rack system of the general character described which is simple to use.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a shish kebab skewer rack system of the general character described having a minimal number of components.
To provide a shish kebab skewer rack system of the general character described which is well suited for economical mass production fabrication is a still further consideration of the present invention.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a shish kebab skewer rack system of the general character described which is well suited for economical mass production fabrication.
A further consideration of the present invention is to provide a shish kebab skewer rack system of the general character described which assures uniform simultaneous cooking of several shish kebabs.
A still further feature of the present invention is to provide a shish kebab skewer rack system of the general character described which is easy to manipulate.
To provide a shish kebab skewer rack system of the general character described which is maintenance free is yet a further aspect of the present invention.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a shish kebab skewer rack system of the general character described which utilizes a single keeper rod for simultaneously retaining a plurality of skewers.
Other aspects, features and considerations of the present invention in part will be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.
With these ends in view, the invention finds embodiment in certain combinations of elements, arrangements of parts and series of steps by which the aforesaid aspects, features and considerations and certain other aspects, features and considerations are attained, or with reference to the accompanying drawings and the scope of which will be more particularly pointed out and indicated in the appended claims.